Team USA forward LeBron James tends to his eye after getting hit by an elbow against Brazil during the 2024 Olympics. / Photo by Marcus Brandt/picture alliance via Getty Images
LeBron James exited Team USA’s blowout 122–87 victory against Brazil in the Olympic quarterfinals after taking an elbow to the head. James appeared to be bleeding from above the eye before he made his way to the locker room to get fixed up by the medical staff.
After the game, Steve Kerr offered an update on James’s status, indicating that the 39-year-old received four stitches as a result of the inadvertent blow to the face, according to Ben Golliver of The Washington Post.
James didn’t check back into the game after his exit in the third quarter, but he did return to the bench during the fourth quarter as the United States secured its place in the semifinals.
LeBron left the quarterfinals game vs. Brazil after an elbow to the eye. pic.twitter.com/xeSW3TGM6R
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) August 6, 2024
Prior to the injury, James had logged 17 minutes in Tuesday’s win, providing Team USA with 12 points, nine assists, three rebounds and three steals. He was one of six players to score in double figures for the U.S., and he led the team in assists, too.
James, playing in his fourth Olympic Games, has started each match for the United States throughout the tournament. He figures to remain in the starting five during the team’s semifinals bout against Serbia, which is set for Thursday.
